Aim | Explain backgrounds from typical chain-letters figures |
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Duration | 10-20 min |
Number of participants | from 3 persons, group activity |
Age | Rather for younger, or as soon as WhatsApp chain letters become an issue |
Difficulty | medium |
Conditions | Special creatures play a special role in many of the scary chain letters that children receive and forward via WhatsApp. These chain letters deal with different facts (e.g. death, misfortune, failure, visiting horror figures...) and are circulated in many variations. |
Material | Internet access to research backgrounds or candles and brooms (to chase away evil creatures) |
Preparation Working with the figures in advance so that the children can be better accompanied |
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Description In the first phase the players collect chain-letters which are in circulation. This game can be played in different ways: Option 1: everyone is looking for the backgrounds of the individual figures. Then it is analysed why these figures last so long and work so well. Option 2: The children sit in a darkened room in a circle and tell each other the frightening contents of the chain letters (horror hour). In the middle burns a candle, which was supposed to symbolically drive away the evil figures. As soon as the children get scared and scream, the light is turned on again. The evil creatures of the chain letters are chased away by the cries of the children and the candle. If it is possible, it will be analysed why these chain letter figures can cause so much fear and sometimes last so long. Option 3: as in “Activity” the children divide into groups and take a chain letter figure and the others have to guess which one it is. Besides the figures, typical genres of chain letters can also be used. Attention: If you notice that some children really do get scared, it is important to discuss how to deal with fear and what is best to do if you cannot sleep at night. Typical chain letter figures: Slenderman Typical chain letter genre: “Your mother dies in five years.” |
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Source | OIAT/Saferinternet.at, Kettenbrief-Bot-Projekt |
Tags | Fake News, media education |